49ers' Jim Harbaugh: I want to stay

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Amid separate reports that Texas has interest in Jim Harbaugh as a successor to Mack Brown and that friction exists between Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke, the San Francisco 49ers coach said Thursday he's still happy in the Bay Area.

"Absolutely," he said when asked whether he'd like to stay with the 49ers long-term. "Absolutely."

Baalke also refuted the report that there was friction between himself and the head coach.

"That's all overblown. It's no different than it's been since Day 1," Baalke said Friday on 95.7 The Game. "I think every relationship changes to a certain degree. But it's very professional.

"He's got a job to do. I've got a job to do. We try to do that together and we do it well together.

"It's not just the two of us. There's so many people that are involved in decisions and everything else that goes on here. So many people that have been involved in the success of this organization over time. So I think people like to focus on (potential tension with Harbaugh), but in my opinion it's way overblown."

Harbaugh is in the third year of a five-year deal that will pay him $25 million. 49ers owner Jed York is on the record saying the team plans to try to finalize an extension for Harbaugh during the offseason.

York told San Francisco radio station KNBR there is occasional creative tension between the two football leaders but not "friction," as reported by the San Jose Mercury News this week.

Harbaugh, like York, downplayed any issues.

"It's the 49er way," said Harbaugh, who is 34-11-1 with San Francisco. "It's the team, the team, the team. Everybody does a little, and it adds up to be a lot. Nobody above the team. Nobody more important. Nobody less important. Hundreds of people in this organization, and we all have a role and we all contribute to the best of our ability. And that's the team, the team, the team. We win as a team. That's how we do it."

Harbaugh also shunned the report because it cited unnamed sources.

"In Judge Judy's court, hearsay is not admissible evidence," he said. "I think we can all agree that an unnamed source is hearsay. ... In the court of public opinion, why would you give any of that credibility?"